Monodora myristica

Monodora myristica
Illustration from Curtis's Botanical Magazine, 1831
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Annonaceae
Genus: Monodora
Species:
M. myristica
Binomial name
Monodora myristica
(Gaertn.) Dunal
Synonyms
  • Annona myristica Gaertn.
  • Monodora borealis Scott-Elliot
  • Monodora claessensii De Wild.
  • Monodora grandiflora Benth.

Monodora myristica, the calabash nutmeg or African nutmeg, is a tropical tree of the family Annonaceae or custard apple family of flowering plants. It is native to tropical Africa from Sierra Leone in the west to Tanzania. In former times, its seeds were widely sold as an inexpensive nutmeg substitute. This is now less common outside its region of production. Other names of calabash nutmeg include Jamaican nutmeg, ehuru, ariwo, awerewa, ehiri, airama, African orchid nutmeg, muscadier de Calabash and lubushi.